Here comes the summer
- party in the park to celebrate Albert’s 150th
Middlesbrough in world’s top ten cities for investment
Town Hall opens its doors to reveal fabulous facelift
PLUS a bumper guide to a summer of events,
theatre, museums, live music, the arts and more!

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Welcome to the
latest edition of
lovemiddlesbrough
magazine. I hope you
find it an informative
and enjoyable read.
It was very pleasing that
a recognised heavyweight
such as the Financial Times
should applaud the success
of our ambition and rank
Middlesbrough in the top ten
small cities in Europe when it
comes to attracting foreign investment.
It is further evidence of the real and gathering
momentum behind the partnership of public and
private investment that is driving Middlesbrough
forward in terms of attracting and supporting business
and manufacturing development to create jobs and
opportunities for our residents.
In this edition of lovemiddlesbrough you can read
about the joined up strategy that not only ensures
Middlesbrough is best placed to attract investment but
also that local people benefit from the opportunities and
improved infrastructure this is bringing.
Middlesbrough can proudly lay claim to being the world’s
first railway town and now as we see ourselves as city
centre of the Tees Valley it is fitting that we recognise the
importance of the station.
Already significant investment has been made to
upgrade links and develop this historic area, in this
edition you can see how an additional platform, glass
frontage and other developments, combined with the
careful preservation of the original Victorian splendour,
will produce a station that delivers an immediate
statement to visitors.
A series of landmark events are planned in
Middlesbrough this summer. It is 250 years since our
most famous son set sail on his first great voyage of
discovery and the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum in
Stewart Park will be marking the anniversary in style.
A century later saw a significant step in the history of
what was then the fledgling town of Middlesbrough with
the grand opening of Albert Park. The park is as relevant
to local life today as it was then and a series of varied
events are planned to celebrate the 150th anniversary,
culminating with the Mela on August 11.
Also central to Middlesbrough life over the years has
been the Town Hall which has just opened its doors after
a major £7.7m refurbishment and renovation funded with
the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Do take the time over this summer to have a look
round, the refurbishment has done a wonderful job in
uncovering and throwing light on some of the beautiful
original features of this iconic building. It’s a wonderful
setting for enjoying the music and arts, holding a
wedding or other celebration or simply catching up with
friends over a cup of tea.
There are so many varied attractions and events
throughout Middlesbrough in the coming months, many
celebrating the history, diversity and achievements of its
people as well as looking forward with confidence to the
future. Enjoy the summer.

Tony Parkinson
Chief Executive, Middlesbrough Council

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

In this issue...

Gym, swim and classes to get everyone active.............. 2
Chief Executive’s welcome...........................................................3
News in brief about your town.............................................4-5
Golden trio celebrate Commonwealth success................ 6
Investment special:
Middlesbrough’s top ten listing.................................................7
On track for station of splendour....................................... 8/9
The man behind Boho.................................................................. 10
Middlesbrough’s regeneration strategy.............................. 11
Vision becomes reality.......................................................... 12/13
Businesses show confidence in Dundas Market.... 14/15
Could you give a child a loving home?............................... 16
Quit smoking and feel great – read Coral’s story..........17
Engaging community conversations.................................. 18
Ratings show hygiene is high local food outlets......... 19
Travel advice on your doorstep..............................................20
Become unstoppable with NCS................................................21
Try a short course at Teesside University.......................22
Happy Birthday Albert Park..............................................23-26
TVCA launch new tourism website.....................................27
Help always at hand to help you quit smoking........... 28
Child care funding available for working parents.......29
Council tackles homelessness................................................30
Thirteen: Investing in local communities.........................31
Dispose of your waste responsibly......................................32
Your bumper guide for a fun packed summer...............33
Day to celebrate our armed forces........................................34
WIN a VIP day at Lightwater Valley....................................35
Opportunities for over 50’s........................................................35
250th anniversary of Cook’s first great voyage ..........36
Dorman offers a magical experience..................................37
British classics on stage at the theatre.............................38
Magnificent Town Hall opens to the public............ 39-42
Baby Café launches Start Well offer....................................43
Your essential summer listings guide....................... 44-45
Ward surgeries – contact your local councillor..... 46-47
College course gets you ready for industry................... 48

On the cover

Issue #16

• Summ
er 2018

• 67,000
copies

delivered
free

Byron, Erin and Francesca enjoy some
fun in the sun of Albert Park. Pictures
by stuartboultonphotography.com
Earn money delivering the next
edition of lovemiddlesbrough
magazine. Contact Steve or
Paul on 01642 438414 or
07941 665257 for details

the Communications Team at
Middlesbrough Council. An electronic
version is available at middlesbrough.gov.uk/magazine.
If you would like to get in touch please email us on
magazine@middlesbrough.gov.uk
For other matters, Middlesbrough Council can be
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3

News
in brief

A TIRELESS community
stalwart has been awarded one of
Middlesbrough’s top honours.
Cheryl Dixon has been named
Middlesbrough Citizen of the Year
2017 for the selfless contribution
she makes to her North Ormesby
community.
She received her award at a special
ceremony at North Ormesby Hub
attended by friends and family and
members of the local community.
Cheryl is Vice Chair of the North
Ormesby Big Local and chairs its
Environment Theme Group, and does
a lot of work with gardening and local
environment initiatives in the area.
She runs a parent and toddler group
at the Community Hub, supporting
parents and children in their dealings
with schools, the Council and others,
as well as helping out with local food
banks and countless community
events.
Speaking after the ceremony, Cheryl
said: “To receive this award was quite
a shock, and to me it just shows the
importance of community work.
“This award is a thank you to
everybody that supports the work I do,
and to the families who believe in it
and keep coming back each week.”

..................................

THE youth club at the Manor
Hub in Coulby Newham, closed for
several years, has reopened. The club
is to be run by the Linx Project who
will be organising a series of activities
for young people between ten and
19-years-old on Friday nights from
6pm-8pm. This will include football in
the multi-use games area and games
in the sports hall. The premises are
being provided by Active Tees Valley.

4

A JOBS for Middlesbrough event
is being held in June - and is inviting
those looking for new employment
to visit the newly refurbished
Middlesbrough Town Hall.
The event is hosted by the Council
in partnership with Jobcentre
Plus, the National Careers Service,
Middlesbrough College and
Middlesbrough Community Learning.
Employers will welcome job seekers
to stands in the Town Hall’s Crypt,
Main Hall and old Fire Station, all
fully upgraded as part of a recently
completely £7.7 million Heritage
Lottery Fund-backed project.
Organisers also want to hear from
enterprises from across the Tees
Valley and beyond who are on the
look-out for fresh talent.
Jobs for Middlesbrough takes place
at Middlesbrough Town Hall on
Wednesday, June 6 from 10am to 4pm.
For further information and to sign
up, email recruitmentevents@
middlesbrough.gov.uk

SCHOOL children in
Middlesbrough are being helped
across the road by two newly
appointed ‘lollipop’ patrollers - who
are perhaps unusually not long out of
school themselves.
Middlesbrough Council has recently
appointed 20-year-old Courtney Pink
and 19-year-old Dylan Hayes to work
at two crossings in the town in posts
it had struggled to fill despite repeat
advertising.
Dylan, who now lives in Acklam and
works a crossing on Green Lane near
Cleveland College of Art and Design,
said: “There has been a few surprised
faces with me being so young and
doing the job. Everyone says ‘hi’ on a
morning and there’s been no issues
with drivers. It’s been good.”
Courtney, from Park End, also works
as a barmaid and at Park End Primary
School alongside her School Crossing
Patrol work on Ingram Road in
Berwick Hills.
She said: “I like being outside so it’s
good for me and all the parents were
buzzing when I first started a couple
of weeks ago. Everyone has been
really nice.”

..................................

ORANGE Pip Market visitors can
enjoy a taste of “summer in a glass”
with the unveiling of the event’s
official craft beer. The Blood Orange
IPA has been created by McColl’s
Brewery and is described as “totally
and utterly refreshing” and “quaffable”.
It will be on sale in many of the
micropubs in the Baker and Bedford
Street areas throughout the summer.
Danny McColl (above right), owner of
the Teesdale-based brewery, said: “We
have been fans of Orange Pip for ages
and your mind goes off on a tangent
and you think ‘surely they need an
Orange Pip beer?’ We are always up
for experimenting at the brewery.
“The Baker and Bedford Street area
and Orange Pip are exactly where we
want to be. I lived in Middlesbrough for
seven or eight years when it was only
Scruffy Murphy’s before it became
O’Connells. The change has been
immense.”

A NEW generation of young
musicians has been given a huge
boost thanks to a major grant.
Over the next four years, the musinc
project will receive more than
£630,000 in funding from a national
alliance led by Youth Music.
Led by Middlesbrough Council, musinc
enables young people to develop
themselves and their music, bringing
about positive change in their lives and
the lives of those around them, and
helping them to make a successful
transition to adult life.
musinc Development Officer Gwyneth
Lamb said: “Music is a powerful force
for good, bringing people of all ages
together and helping them to find
new and exciting ways to express
themselves.
“This grant from Youth Music is
fantastic news, and will help to secure
musinc’s future for the next four
years and beyond, enabling it to reach
more young people than ever before.”

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

A new website has been launched as
part of a long-term project to harness
great education practice from
across Middlesbrough and drive up
school improvement.
The aim of the project is to improve
the quality of education by breaking
down barriers to learning and
recruiting and training the very best
teachers and leaders.
The drive is being led by Learning
Middlesbrough, a new partnership
bringing together Middlesbrough
Council, teaching schools and
alliances, and Middlesbrough
Achievement Partnership (MAP).
Andrea Williams, Middlesbrough
Council’s Director of Education, said:
“The challenge to schools is to surpass
their previous best, break down barriers
to learning and support the training of
high quality teachers and leaders.
“A key element of the school
improvement project will be
supporting individual schools through
specifically funded projects.”

Middlesbrough’s
Financial Inclusion
Group will be out
and about over the
summer at a series
of sessions providing
advice. Since it started the campaign
has helped local people claim millions
of pounds of entitlement they had
previously been missing out on.
Those helped come from all walks
of life including low income working
families, people recently retired or
made redundant, students, single
parents, carers and the unemployed.
For free advice simply call in at any of
the following sessions:
Mon June 11 & Tues June 12 • 10am-4pm
Weds June 13 • 1-4pm
Linthorpe Road Resource Centre,
54 Borough Road. TS1 2JH
Mon June 25 & Tues June 26 • 10am-4pm
Weds June 27 • 1-4pm
Mon July 9 & Tues July 10 • 10am-4pm
Weds July 11 • 1-4pm
Middlesbrough Citizens Advice Bureau,
9 Linthorpe Road. TS1 1TH
Mon July 23 & Tues July 24 • 10am-4pm
Weds July 25 • 1-4pm
Mon Aug 6 & Tues Aug 7 • 10am-4pm
Weds Aug 8 • 1-4pm
Easterside Community Hub,
Broughton Avenue. TS4 3PZ

For further information and updates on
the project including participating schools
visit learningmiddlesbrough.co.uk

GERMAN rapper Chefket
entertained a capacity crowd at
Middlesbrough’s myplace youth
centre. And the young fans had a
chance to make their own music in a
special workshop.
myplace manager Tracey Smith said:
“The Chefket concert was a great
night with more than 100 people
attending, and they all gained an
invaluable insight into what young
people from different cultures enjoy.
“Seeing the live performance will
inspire them to perform in front of
an audience themselves, and they’ve
also had a great introduction to the
German culture and language.”

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

The latest installment of public
poetry in Middlesbrough has been
completed. The poem Moving To The
Country by Julia Darling has been
painted onto the outside of Victoria
House on Albert Road, the building
which is home to Baker Street
Kitchen, and can be viewed from the
Borough Road end of the street.
It is the fifth piece of poetry
introduced to the sides of buildings
and landmarks in Middlesbrough.
In the city centre pieces can be seen
at Baker Street, Bedford Street and
King Edward’s Square, while a special
one-off piece as a tribute to ‘Voice of
the Boro’ Ali Brownlee can be seen on
the side of Shepherdson Way on the
approach to the Riverside Stadium.

RISING stars at Middlesbrough
Council have represented the
authority in a prestigious national
competition. The Young Local
Authority of the Year competition
puts those in the early stages of their
careers in local government in the
spotlight.
Middlesbrough was one of only two
local authorities from the North East
to be taking part, going head-to-head
in good-natured competition with 37
other teams from across the UK.
The Council was represented this year
by Head of Culture Charlotte Nicol and
Programme Office Co-ordinator Jade
Stainthorpe.
At the finals, each team was invited
to introduce themselves and give
a presentation on Pride of Place.
For their pre-prepared argument
about an issue of current interest or
controversy, Charlotte and Jade chose
to discuss equal rights and gender.

A rare 17th century Quran is
on display at Middlesbrough Central
Library. The first ever translation from
Arabic to Latin, it is part of a large
collection of books and religious texts
gifted to Middlesbrough in 1906.
The Quran is the central exhibit at
East to North East, which runs until
June 1 - amongst a host of stories and
photographs provided by local families.
Martin Harvey, Middlesbrough
Council Community Infrastructure
Manager explains: “The history of
Middlesbrough is a very young town,
less than 200 years old. It’s really a
history of migration, from fuelling
the industrial development in 19th
century, and those communities
came from all over the world. We need
to celebrate the positive contribution
these communities make to the town.”

lovemiddlesbrough
hits golden hat trick!
lovemiddlesbrough is celebrating a remarkable treble after three of our cover stars struck gold at
the recent Commonwealth Games in Australia.
Swimmer Aimee Willmott led the
way claiming England’s first Gold
Coast Gold when she won the 400m
individual medley race. Aimee,
who learned to swim at the town’s
Neptune baths, featured on cover and
inside edition 6 where we learned
of her amazing determination and
dedication, her love of “Bake Off” and
the tattoo she got when she appeared
in the Olympics - will she get a matching
Commonwealth Games one now?
Jade Jones appeared on the cover
of the first ever lovemiddlesbrough

where we went behind the scenes
of the wheelchair racer’s gruelling
training schedule, which included
stamina building sessions powering
down Cargo Fleet Lane.
The hard work certainly paid
off for Jade who took gold in the
paratriathlon and then bronze in
the T54 marathon. She was then
honoured to be chosen as the team’s
flag bearer for the closing ceremony.
And completing our remarkable
cover star Commonwealth treble,
Paul Drinkhall took gold in the table

tennis doubles to go with bronze in
the team event.
In edition 8 Paul told us of his table
tennis journey that started at the
famous Ormesby club, saw him visit
a training camp in China aged just
nine, and then become a boarder at
the National Academy in Nottingham
from aged 11.
In all three cases the incredible
dedication and determination to
succeed shone through. As did the
pride our sporting stars have in their
Teesside roots.

National honour for cover star Matt
Away from the Games, another
of our cover stars also recorded a
notable sporting triumph. In edition
9 Matt Crossen told us of how his life
was saved by pioneering surgery at
James Cook Hospital after he suffered
a major stroke aged just 23. Despite
suffering paralysis and brain injury,
Matt battled back to fitness and was
chosen to represent GB at football
in the 2016 Olympics. In April Matt
was named captain of England for

the European Championships for
cerebral palsy football which take
place in Holland this summer.
Well done to Matt and all our
Commonwealth Games stars, you
are tremendous role models and the
town is proud of you.
You can read our extensive features
on them and all back copies of
lovemiddlesbrough magazine online at
lovemiddlesbrough.com/visitor-info/
lovemiddlesbrough-magazine

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

City vision investment strategy
receives global recognition
Middlesbrough’s ambitious investment strategy has received international recognition with the
news it has been ranked amongst the top ten small cities in Europe by the Financial Times.
The prestigious listing represents
independent recognition of the
Mayor’s Vision 2025, the four year
strategic plan and Middlesbrough
Council’s Investment Prospectus
which outlines how the authority
will invest £74m in order to unlock
more than £600m of private inward
investment and secure 600 new jobs.
The praise for Middlesbrough comes
in a report entitled European Cities
and Regions of the Future 2018-19
which asks the question “With
Europe in flux, which locations have
investment potential for the long haul?”
The report has been compiled by
an FT’s supplement - fDi magazine
- which looks at potential for
foreign direct investment (FDI).
Middlesbrough was listed at number
nine for small cities in Europe
with its strategy to attract foreign
investment.
The Mayors Vision for 2025 outlines
our long term city vision for
Middlesbrough. The strategic plan
breaks this down into deliverable four
year blocks where there can be more
certainty about funding available.
Among the projects happening are
the £22.46 million Tees Advanced

Manufacturing Park (TeesAMP) based on the historic South West
Ironmasters site - which is aimed
at cutting edge manufacturing
companies. Other key projects
include the exciting plans for
the station, the proposed snow
centre and further Middlehaven
developments and the building of
five new office blocks to the east of
Centre Square to attract 1,500 new
jobs and to re-home Middlesbrough
Council staff.
The awards were announced at
MIPIM 2018 - an international
real estate event held in Cannes
that draws thousands of property
developers and investors from
around the world. The prestigious
announcement puts Middlesbrough
firmly on the map to attract
investment from around the world.
Elected Mayor Dave Budd sees the
award as further evidence of the how
the area continues to lead the way in
many areas.
“Middlesbrough has a rich history of
industrial innovation and pioneering
exploration and we’re building
on that in the 21st century with
a booming city centre economy,

burgeoning digital and creative
sectors and a thriving university.”
He added: “day by day we are seeing
our city vision take shape, the
strategy has been drawn up and we
are now very much in the delivery
stage.”
In the following pages you can read
more about the long term vision for
Middlesbrough 2025, about some of
the key aims already delivered and
about the strategic plan for the next
four years.

Middlesbrough Council’s
investment strategy has been
further celebrated, this time a little
closer to home at the LGC Awards,
which celebrates innovation in
local government.
The Council received highly
commended in the Driving Growth
category for its investment
strategy, which was officially
launch in March last year.

7

Combining Victorian splendour
An ambitious masterplan has been proposed to develop the historic Middlesbrough Railway
Station into a destination fit for a city while celebrating its unique Victorian qualities.
The plans would see the south side of
the station on Zetland Road restored
with new business use proposed for
the former Cornerhouse unit beneath
the station and a stunning new glass
frontage for the north side.
The improvements aim to
accommodate additional services–
including the forthcoming direct
services to London - with the
introduction of a third platform and
make the station work better for
travellers.
Just as importantly, they aim
to maximise for the people of
Middlesbrough the economic benefits
a first-class station can bring and the
beautification of what is a jewel in
the crown of the historic quarter.
Kevin Parkes, Middlesbrough
Council’s Executive Director
of Growth and Place, said:
“Middlesbrough both needs and
deserves a railway station that
makes a statement to travellers when
they arrive here and the statement
we want to make is that we are proud
of our history but also that we are a
young and up-and-coming city.
“In recent times we have had some
really positive announcements
around the station. For instance
we have secured direct trains to
London from Middlesbrough for the
first time in a generation, improved

8

and increased TransPennine
Express services, the services on
the Whitby line will double, a new
express service to Newcastle is being
introduced and after a long closure
the south entrance has recently
reopened.
“As well as those obvious benefits
for Middlesbrough residents, we will
also see the wider economic benefits.
Middlesbrough Railway Station is
at the heart of our historic quarter
and a central part of Middlesbrough
Council’s investment plans to grow
the local economy in line with our
city scale ambitions.
“These proposals are at a very
early stage but a number of key
commitments have already been
secured from the partners involved
and we can all be very excited about
the potential of this masterplan.”
The masterplan - which offers short

term proposals and a longer term
vision to benefit the local economy,
commuters and Teessiders generally
- includes:

• The re-opening of the southern
entrance.
• A remodelled and more accessible
northern entrance.
• An additional platform.
• New commercial units.
• Additional passenger facilities and;
• Improved access for sustainable
modes of transport such as buses,
taxis, cars and cycles.
All of the ongoing design work
also aims to protect, enhance and
complement the station’s Victorian
heritage, beauty and splendour.
Peter Jenkins, Architect Director
and Head of Transport Sector at
BDP (left) who have created the
masterplan, said: “Our designs are
focused on celebrating the qualities
of the existing station alongside
the creation of new facilities to
accommodate additional intercity
services. The fine qualities of the
listed buildings and unique activities
such as Platform Arts cannot be fully
appreciated today and we want to
make sure all visitors can understand
more of the historic station.
“It goes without saying that the Virgin

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

Riverside Park

with stunning vision for future
Trains East Coast (VTEC) services
will have a transformative effect
on the town in terms of the train
connections provided. Our design
aims to unlock further value from this
change, with the new platform and
canopy structures combined with a
new entrance and interchange facility
on Bridge Street. This will transform
the appearance and identity of the
station from Middlehaven, catalysing
developments to the north of the
station.
“Many station masterplans can lack
the impetus to become reality; this
is not the case in Middlesbrough,
where infrastructure expansion
(VTEC services to London) and local
support can ensure a successful
redevelopment of the station
complex, to the benefit of both rail
passengers and local residents alike.”
The proposals are the result of a
commission - led by Middlesbrough
Council with support from Network
Rail, Tees Valley Combined Authority
and the rail franchisees – to provide
a long-term vision for the rail station
and the surrounding area.
As a result of the commission,
Middlesbrough Council and
Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald
are working alongside the rail
industry in the form of a joint
programme board to realise both the
site’s ambition and strategic potential
over the coming years.
The project board’s next steps will

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

be to work on bringing together the
funds from a number of local and
national bodies in order to make the
masterplan a reality.
Already Tees Valley Combined
Authority have committed £2.5m
to the project, Network Rail have
agreed to £2m of funding and
Middlesbrough Council has
committed £500k.
It will build upon Network Rail’s
station renewals project that has
recently seen the completion of a
13-month, £3m project to repair the
roof and stonework of the main
station building.
The works also enabled the station
entrance to be restored and a vehicle
‘kiss and ride’ turning circle installed
enabling customers to be dropped off
by car from Zetland Road for trains.
Lisa McGuinness, Commercial

Scheme Sponsor at Network Rail,
said: “A lot has been done to get
the southern entrance reopened
and I’m delighted that by working
closely with Middlesbrough Council
and TransPennine Express we
have been able to resolve this long
running problem for customers at
Middlesbrough.”
The works have been completed
in advance of a major new train
timetable being introduced this
May which will see TransPennine
Express operate earlier and later
services from Middlesbrough on
Mondays to Saturdays and double
the frequency of trains on Sundays
to a train every hour. Furthermore,
TransPennine Express will introduce
brand new state of the art Nova 3 five
carriage trains on its services to and
from Middlesbrough this autumn,
increasing the number of seats
available per train and enhancing the
overall customer experience.
Graham Meiklejohn, Regional
Development Manager for
TransPennine Express, said: “The reopening of the traditional entrance to
this historic station at Middlesbrough
provides customers with a restored,
step free, well-lit and direct walking
route into the town centre.
“It also provides a powerful launch to
the phased delivery of improvements
through the station masterplan
delivered and funded in partnership
by a range of organisations.”

9

“We built
the world...”
So goes the line in the famous Ian Horne poem about Middlesbrough which evokes images of
the Sydney Harbour Bridge and other global landmarks, but Middlesbrough - version 2.0 - is also
building the 21st Century digital world from the town’s digital and creative quarter, the Boho Zone.
The Boho Zone comprises seven
buildings packed with thriving
tech and creative businesses which
together contribute significantly
towards a dizzying £211m the digital
industries in Middlesbrough provide
to the local economy and employ
around 1,000 people, according to a
recent report.
Among the big name clients of some
of the companies are Microsoft,
Disney, Sony, as well as world
renowned chocolate manufacturers
and national banks.
Many of the businesses themselves
would be just as at home in Silicone
Valley among the Facebooks and
Twitters of the world, but instead
they are building their successes
here in Middlesbrough.
In the middle of it all is the newly
appointed Digital Middlesbrough
Manager Dan Watson whose job it is
to make sure there is an environment
in which the businesses can continue
to thrive.
Dan is a 28-year-old proud Boro
lad who grew up in Marton, went to
Chandler’s Ridge Primary School and
Nunthorpe Secondary before going
on to Prior Pursglove College and

10

then Northumbria University to study
business with marketing before
returning to Teesside University to do
his Masters.
And although his background isn’t
in tech, a project during his Masters
working with a Boho company led
him on a career trajectory to where
he is today.
Dan said: “Having seen first-hand
the investment from Middlesbrough
Council, whilst working at DigitalCity

over the last 7 years, into the DigitalCity
project itself and having seen the
wider investment and the vision of
those within the regeneration team
at Middlesbrough Council, I wanted
to come back and really try to do
something to support its growth.
“We have some amazing companies
here which are thriving and if we can
unlock certain barriers we will start to
see even more growth in the future.
If there had not been investment from
Middlesbrough Council you would not
see this, if you didn’t have specialist
talent coming out of Teesside
University you wouldn’t see this.
“It’s been stated that we are serving
the world through digital. What we
have in Middlesbrough is all the
pieces of the jigsaw in the right way
that has created an environment
where these businesses can thrive in
an international arena.
“It can easily be overwhelming
when you explain to people what
goes on in these buildings and what
the businesses are contributing
internationally but it’s something
we really need to be shouting about,
because within the Boho Zone this is
the norm.”

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

Elected Mayor Dave Budd unveils
the Strategic Plan 2018-22

A winning strategy
The Strategic Plan is the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overarching business plan. It sets out development priorities
for our town over the next four years and how these feed in to and help deliver the longer term
Mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vision for 2025. The document is regularly updated to take account of any changes in
priorities and funding.
The latest plan has just been
finalised and covers the period 20182022. It is influenced by research
and feedback from residents, partner
organisations, local businesses and
industry.
The plan is based around three
aims: physical regeneration,
social regeneration and business
imperatives.
All of the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activity supports
one or more of these aims which are
outlined in the diagram opposite.
The plan sets out priorities for the
next four years under each of these
aims.
The Council will work closely with
local communities and its partners to
achieve its aims and deliver stronger
outcomes for all.
Local residents are at the heart of
everything the Council does and
the Customer Charter sets out a
commitment to delivering excellent
customer service.
To read more about the
Strategic Plan 2018-2022 please
visit middlesbrough.gov.uk

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

11

Mayor’s Vision becomes reality
Launched two years ago, The Mayor’s Vision for
Middlesbrough 2025 outlined a future for the town that would
make it a fairer, safer and stronger place to live and work.
Strong progress has been made
across all themes and priorities
set out in the Vision, benefitting
the diverse local communities and
citizens of Middlesbrough.

Here we outline just some of the key
achievements made to date.

For more information visit
middlesbrough.gov.uk

Introduced

Middlesbrough
Living Wage

(currently £8.75 an hour)
for all council employees
and promoted the real
living wage
elsewhere

Established the

Opened

The Live Well
Centre

in Dundas Arcade,
a one stop shop to help
people lead healthier
lives
Introduced
an enhanced

Middlesbrough
Achievement
Partnership to share

best practice in local
schools, investing over
£2m to raise
standards

Increased
apprenticeships

Council Tax
relief scheme

at the council by 50%
with over 80% going
on to gain full time
employment

to support the
poorest in
society

Reduced number
of school leavers
not in education,

employment or
training

Developed

Early Years
Support offer

Through the

with health partners
to give all children
best start in life

Joined the

SSI Taskforce

to support 3,000
workers made
redundant when
the steelworks
closed

Selective Landlord
Licensing Scheme,
supported local
community efforts
to improve housing
standards in
North Ormesby

Built over

1,500 quality
new homes

in Middlesbrough,
increasing the
choice available

Worked with
partners to secure

£6m lottery funding
to tackle loneliness
and isolation through
the ageing better
programme

ABM Love Mbro Advert.qxp_Layout 1 11/01/2016 10:50 Page 1

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JOIN US TO DISCOVER THE WIDE RANGE O
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12

We’ll send you regular newsletters and you can keep up
to date with the latest news on our website, facebook
and twitter pages.

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Joining is easy!

Just visit our website

Completed the
£8m restoration of

Middlesbrough
Town Hall and
relocated the

register office
into a newly
refurbished part
of the building

Instrumental
in creating the
Boho zone to
embrace the digital
economy - now a
nationally
recognised
cluster

Joined with our
neighbours to form
the Tees Valley

Combined Authority
and successfully secure
£15m per year to invest
in the region for the
next 30 years

Worked with

Teesside
University

to transform its campus
and develop plans
for a student
village

Made
Middlesbrough
a ‘Dementia

Friendly’
town

DEMENTIA FRIENDLY
MIDDLESBROUGH

Transformed

Baker Street and
Bedford Street

into a thriving hub for
20 independent
outlets employing
65 people

Launched
the very popular

Orange Pip Market
that brought £1m to
the local economy
and 70,000 visitors
last year

Made
council services
accessible online
through

MyMiddlesbrough,
with 26,000 signed
up already

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

Completed a

£5m LED street
light replacement
scheme

to protect environment
and save taxpayers’
money

Launched the

Middlesbrough
Investment
Prospectus

which is on target to
deliver £625m of
investment, 4,250 jobs
and 5,500 new
homes

Restored
the historic

Transporter
Bridge,

including an
accessible walkway
to the top

Built the

Middlesbrough
Sports Village

and refurbished other
centres to provide local
people with the best in
sporting facilities

Backed ongoing
restoration and
improvement of

Middlesbrough
Train Station

to include enhanced
services and direct
link to London by
2020

13

Market aims to be home
for food glorious food

As part of its growing reputation for high quality food, Dundas Indoor Market is
inviting more food retailers to share in the success story.
David Harris
(left), Dundas
Market Manager
has launched a
campaign to attract
greengrocers , weigh
and save operators and
specialist takeaways to take
a full time unit in the market.
“Food retailers are our number one
target, as we are aware of a growing
demand from shoppers,” said David.
“With Jean’s Kitchen, Danny’s Family
Butchers, Indy’s Grub To Go (below)
and The Sweet Corner in the market
and Fultons Foods and Cooplands
in the main mall, we already have
a varied selection which ensures a
solid customer base.
“Last year we had record numbers of
shoppers in the shopping centre and
the market and we intend to build on
that,” said David.

14

Dundas has also identified games
and music exchange businesses as
areas for growth.
“We are a friendly community market
which has grown considerably
and is now home to more than 25
businesses,” said David.
“Last year we had a number of
new tenants taking up most of our
available units, so we decided to set
out to attract the types of business
we know are in demand and which
will enhance our offer.”
Dundas offers fantastic incentives
for the right traders who might be
starting their own business, setting
up another branch of an existing
outlet, or returning to full time work
in their own shop.
“Though we have identified particular
growth areas, we are keen to hear
from anyone who is interested in
trading in our market. Whatever the
circumstances we can help.”
David continued: “We support all
our traders with practical help and
guidance and with a campaign of
social media, public relations and
events to encourage shoppers. As a
result we have helped a number of
businesses to start and grow from
Enterprise Units into larger units
in the market, and some have even
gone on to move into retail units in
the Dundas Shopping Centre.”

Further information is available from:
dundasshoppingcentre.co.uk/units-let
or from David Harris on
01642 232552 or by email.
david.harris@dundasindoormarket.co.uk.

Marathon success
Congratulations to Louise Matthews,
manager of Jean’s Kitchen, the café
at the heart of Dundas Market, who
finished her first London Marathon in
April in a time of 5 hours 8 minutes.
With the help and support of her
colleagues at Jean’s Kitchen and her
running group, Louise raised more
than £6,000 for Get Kids Going!, a
charity which helps disabled children
and young people to participate in sport.

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

Best foot forward for Sindi
If you suffer from any form of foot complaint, the latest
tenant at Dundas Market will be worth a visit.
Sindi Dube has launched The
Foot Specialist, a consultation and
treatment practice offering all types
of foot care.
Whether it’s heel or foot pain, or
specific conditions including, corns,
calluses, in-growing toenails, fungal
nails, verrucas, athletes foot and
other nail conditions, you’re in safe
hands with Sindi.
A graduate with qualifications in
nutritional science, biomedical
science, and podiatric medicine, she
is qualified to diagnose and treat
complex conditions including foot
ailments associated with diabetes.
She is a Member of the Society of
Chiropodists and Podiatrists and
a HCPC registered chiropodist/
podiatrist.

The Foot Specialist offers a range of
treatment packages from single to
multi session, depending on your
requirement, and all are available at
affordable prices.
“The Foot Specialist is a great
addition to our market, joining our
existing health and beauty services
such as How-R-You and Nailed Up.
“We are also expecting a new unisex
hair salon to open this summer,”
said Dundas Market Manager David
Harris.
A full list of treatments and a
price list is available from The Foot
Specialist in Dundas Indoor Market,
via thefootspecialistservices.co.uk
or by phone on 01642 205242 or
07764 893245

Forbidden Planet’s faith
in Dundas is no fantasy
Forbidden Planet is set for a major refurbishment after
renewing its lease at Dundas Shopping Centre.
With 17 locations in the UK,
Forbidden Planet International,
offers a vast range of science
fiction, fantasy and entertainment
products including toys and gaming,
collectables, comics, books, clothing,
DVD and audio.
The Middlesbrough store has now
committed to a further five years at
its current site of 41 Dundas Street.
Forbidden Planet along with Games
Workshop, Kindamagic, Interstellar

Comics and the regular popular
sci-fi and fantasy markets and
events, means Dundas remains one
of the north east’s key locations for
everything in the sci-fi and fantasy
world.
“We are delighted to retain such an
internationally renowned business,
it’s a real vote of confidence,” said
Dundas Market Manager David
Harris.

Just

£
6
0
aw

eek

Need premises to kick-start your business venture?
Our Enterprise Units may be perfect for you...

for up to
6 months

We offer a low cost, minimal commitment opportunity for people to test their
business ideas in an established shopping environment with a strong network around them.
To find out more call David Harris on 01642 232552 or email david.harris@dundasindoormarket.co.uk

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

15

Middlesbrough Council is
looking for foster carers...
Whatever your circumstances,
you could be exactly what we need.
To find out more visit:
fosteringformiddlesbrough.org.uk
Start a conversation on 01642 201962
Visit facebook.com/fosteringformiddlesbrough

Fresh thinking to help
local people quit smoking
A new partnership between the public health activities of Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland
is providing an enhanced service to residents and maximising resources.
Amongst the services promoted by
the South Tees Joint Public Health
Service is the Stop Smoking Service
which provides confidential advice
and support to make stopping
smoking easier.
Middlesbrough residents can visit the
new website, stopsmokingsouthtees.
co.uk to learn more and self-refer if
they wish to be contacted by a Stop
Smoking advisor.

Since 2007, smoking prevalence in
the UK has fallen to around 16.9%
of adults, with Middlesbrough’s
smoking rates a little higher at
20.8%. There has been a significant
drop in the number of heart attacks,
stroke, coronary heart disease, and
other smoking-related hospital
admissions, significantly fewer
pregnant women smoking at time
of delivery, and the proportion of
secondary-school pupils trying
smoking has halved.
One local success story is Coral
Danby who first started smoking
when she was just 15, intrigued after
watching a relative smoke. Now aged
30, she was encouraged to stop by
that same relative who had suffered
severe health problems.
“The difference since I quit has been

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

massive, I can exercise much better,
I sleep better and I don’t suffer as
much anxiety,” said Coral.
“I really questioned why I was
smoking, I didn’t even like the taste.
I decided to treat myself with a
couple of facials with the money I
was saving, then I realised it added
up to nearly £50 a week - I don’t
know how I used to afford it.
“I have always been a yo yo dieter
and thought smoking helped me
lose weight. It didn’t. Quitting put me
on a healthier path, I do spinning
classes and visit a gym, it’s also the
little things like being able to use the
stairs. I have lost three stones and
because I can tolerate exercise now it
will stay off.”

Coral benefitted from sessions with
a cessation nurse, medication to help
fight the cravings and an app you
can download.
Everyone is treated as an individual
with a quit plan tailored to their
circumstances and there’s always
someone on hand to help if the
craving returns.
Now Coral works at the Live Well
centre helping others to a healthier
future. The centre is one of various
locations across the town for stop
smoking clinics.
“It’s not easy but the benefits are
just too good to ignore. There is lots
of help available and my advice to
anyone thinking of quitting is to take
advantage of it. Be brave, take control
and take that step, what do you have
to lose?”
Those who don’t wish to attend a
clinic or see an advisor face to face
also have the option of requesting
support by phone, text message or
even email. Statistics show you are
four times more likely to quit for good
if you access help.
Stop smoking and start to feel the benefits!
Visit stopsmokingsouthtees.co.uk for
more information and to self-refer or
speak to your GP.

17

Middlesbrough rated high
for food hygiene standards
Food hygiene ratings provide added protection and assurance for residents and visitors to
Middlesbrough that the food they buy is fit to eat.
Over 1,200 registered food businesses
in the town are covered by the
scheme with Middlesbrough
Council’s Environmental Health
Team inspecting over 500 premises
every year to check that they are
following food laws and national
standards.
The ratings range from a maximum
5/5 for very good standards to 0/5
where urgent action is required.
A wide range of outlets are featured
including takeaways and restaurants,
pubs, cafes and corner shops. In
addition schools and other public
buildings that serve food also get
rated.
The rating awarded depends on
the standards of cleanliness and
repair of the premises, the food
hygiene practices found and the
confidence the inspectors have in
the management of food safety
in the business. Food hygiene
ratings awarded to businesses in
Middlesbrough help consumers
make an informed choice when
eating out or getting food in.
Food Standards Agency research
shows that more consumers are
actively looking for ratings when
they are out and about. The majority
of consumers find a rating of 3
and above acceptable. Most food
businesses in Middlesbrough

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

continue to achieve good hygiene
ratings and 96% have a hygiene rating
of 3 (generally satisfactory), 4 (good)
or 5 (very good). The majority of these
have achieved the top rating of 5 for
very good levels of food hygiene.
If you’re thinking of having a
takeaway, visiting a restaurant or
curious as to your child’s school’s
rating you can now check online
about hygiene standards at all
Middlesbrough outlets at food.gov.uk.
You can either check out an
individual named premise or just
type Middlesbrough into the location
search box to check over 1000 local
outlets.
For peace of mind, customers planning
to eat out are advised to check the
hygiene rating. Food standards have
also developed a free to use app for
mobile devices that is available to
download from usual app outlets.
The Council’s Principal Public
Protection Officer, Kathleen Foreman

said: “The very good standards of
hygiene that Middlesbrough’s food
sector achieves is a credit to the
management and staff of those
businesses. The popularity of the
award scheme with consumers is
also helping to drive up and maintain
the standards of cleanliness and
safe food handling practices that
consumers expect from the places
where they buy their food.
“Although it is not yet a legal
requirement in England for food
businesses to display their rating
sticker, we encourage all businesses
to put their stickers up in a place
where your customers can easily see
it, for example in a window or on the
door. This reassures them about the
hygiene standards in the business.”
As well as checking hygiene
standards, the council’s
Environmental Health Team also
provide advice and guidance on food
laws and how to satisfy consumer
expectations. So remember, before
you order a takeaway check out the
hygiene rating.
Main pic - Public Protection Officer
Kathleen Foreman presents 5 star
rating to Bistrot Pierre Head Chef
Malcolm Devins and (left) to Peter
Walker, Curing House owner and The
Chairman staff Rachel Hanion, Danielle
Rose Martin and Rebekah Tunney.

19

Travel advice coming
to a doorstep near you!
We all know that cars are an everyday part of life, but do you need to use your car every day?
The team at Let’s Go Tees Valley are here to help you find out about different ways to travel,
making the most of options such as walking, cycling, bus, train and car sharing.
It’s all part of the council’s efforts to
keep Middlesbrough’s One Planet
Living status. Last year, more than
3,600 Tees Valley residents, including
1,200 job seekers were advised on
greener travel by one of Let’s Go Tees
Valley’s travel advisors.
Travel advisors will be visiting homes
in Coulby Newham and Nunthorpe
throughout May and June with useful
information on bus and rail services
as well as walking and cycling maps.

Beat the rush hour traffic,
leave the car at home!
The advisors can visit organisations
to speak to staff and explore travel
options for each individual. Problems
with congestion, car parking, and
staff health and well-being can all be
relieved by getting staff out of their
cars and into life!
Get in touch with the Let’s Go Tees
Valley team for more information.
Or speak to your employer about
car sharing options, cycle to work
schemes (where you can get up to
42% of a brand new bike through
salary sacrifice) or season ticket
loans for bus and train services.

20

Opening up options to work
and training in Middlesbrough
Let’s Go Tees Valley travel advisors
will also be spending time at
Middlesbrough JobCentre Plus to
help people get to job and training
opportunities by
opening up their
travel options.

The advisors will be providing
information about free bike-riding
training and maintenance courses
and advice on bus and train services
to get to work or training. They may
even be able provide free bus tickets
for the first few days of a new job or
training, subject to eligibility.

Fun on the school run
Everyone knows that walking and
cycling creates far less pollution
than cars. So take a little time with
your kids, walking and talking on the
way to school. Even if it’s just once a
month, it will do them, and us all, the
world of good.
Let’s Go Tees Valley are giving you
the chance to leave the car on the
drive and win new bikes for the
whole family. Just visit the website
for more info.

Harry and Madison’s
‘unstoppable’ summer
Two local teenagers have been describing how the four-week National Citizen Service (NCS)
programme helped open new doors and make them ‘unstoppable’.
Harry Twohig and Madison Cooper,
episodes of the documentary, which
About NCS
both 17, took part in NCS last summer
and are urging other Middlesbrough
teenagers to venture out of their
comfort zones this year.
The NCS programme, for all 16 and
17 year olds, is the perfect way to
say goodbye to exam stress and
take on adventurous and skillbuilding activities during the
summer holidays. Working in teams,
participants plan and deliver their
own community projects that make
a real difference to their local area.
They’ll become more confident,
resilient and ready for the real world
- nine in ten participants say they
gained useful skills for the future.
Madison said: “I made loads of new
friends on NCS and loved all of the
activities from start to finish. When
we were researching community
issues, we interviewed local residents
which I really enjoyed - it helped form
the ideas for our social action project.
“We renovated a building that is
used by young carers. It’s a place
they can go to unwind - and it felt so
rewarding to make a difference.
“I felt unstoppable when a
production company making a BBC
documentary contacted me about a
film I had made on NCS where I was
interviewing local residents. I was
scouted to narrate and star in four

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

focuses on Redcar - it’s going to air
during the summer.
“I’m going to apply to study medicine
at Oxford University and in my
applications and interviews I will be
using the transferable skills I gained
on NCS such as teamwork and public
speaking.”
Harry said: “Before NCS I wouldn’t say
I was very adventurous - but as soon
as I started NCS I threw myself into
activities like canoeing and climbing,
which I absolutely loved. It really
boosted my confidence and now I feel
unstoppable!
“NCS has put me into positions that
I’ve never been in before. I can now
speak in front of a crowd - I even
presented at an awards ceremony!
Before NCS, I would have never put
myself forward for opportunities like
this.
“When I recently visited a Durham
University open day, they told me
that NCS is one of the first things
they look out for on an application.
I’ll be able to use examples from my
time on NCS to answer all of the
questions posed.”
Madison added: “I would recommend
any teenager to take part in NCS. You
only get this opportunity once - and
you never know where it will lead you!”

NCS is a government backed
programme established in 2011 to
help build a more cohesive, mobile
and engaged society.
The two to four week programme,
which takes place in school holidays,
includes outdoor team-building
exercises, a residential for participants
to learn ‘life skills’, a communitybased social action project and an end
of programme celebration event.
NCS is open to 16 and 17 year olds.
Departure dates for Middlesbrough
teenagers include July 6, 20, 24, 30
July and August 3, 7 with places
costing just £50 (£10 for those eligible
for free school meals), which includes
adventure and university-style
residential stays, transport, food,
training, activities and more! Support
is provided for young people with
additional needs.
To sign up or to find out more visit
ncsnortheast.co.uk or call 0191 247 4020.

To date:
• Almost 400,000 young people have
taken part
• More than twelve million hours
of community action have been
completed
• For every £1 spent, NCS’ 2016
summer programme delivered
between £1.15 and £2.42 of benefits
back to society
21

BOOK YOUR
UNDERGRADUATE
OPEN DAY

Saturday 16 June
9.00am – 3.00pm
tees.ac.uk/opendays

TEESSIDE

Ready to try
something new?
SHORT COURSES
Accredited short courses in June, July, August

Mums enjoy a stroll in the park along the avenue of horsechestnut trees

When Albert Park first opened 150 years ago it heralded
a major step forward in the way the new conurbation of
Middlesbrough saw itself; its confidence and ambition.
Leading industrialist Henry Bolckow
gifted the land to the council with
strict conditions as to its use. He
believed it right that industrial areas
should include open green space to
allow the hard-working population
and their families to spend time
together in relaxation and recreation.
Prussian by birth, Bolckow was
an admirer of Prince Albert of
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and was
delighted when Queen Victoria
gave consent for the new park to be
named after her late husband.
Her Majestyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to send their
child, 18-year-old Prince Arthur, to
perform the grand opening (right)
ensured it made headlines across
the country with many of the press

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

reports educating readers in London
and elsewhere for the first time of
the incredible growth and success of
Middlesbrough (though, like today,
some still managed to spell the name
wrong).
Middlesbrough was just 37 years
old but in those four decades the
population had risen from 40 to in
excess of 30,000, leading Gladstone
to famously declare it the Infant
Hercules. Initially the town attracted
workers from Yorkshire and the
North-East and quickly, as expansion
gathered pace, from wider afield from Scotland, Wales, Ireland and
other parts of Europe.
If the decision in 1867 to grant
Middlesbrough Parliamentary status

23

“essentially
Albert Park remains
the same as Bolckow
envisaged it.”

indicated that the establishment
recognised the town’s importance,
the newspaper reports the following
year of the opening of Albert Park
spread the word to the masses. It was
seen as a landmark event of national
significance and confirmed that
Middlesbrough’s arrival as a town of
substance had been given the Royal
Seal of Approval.
Over the century and a half that
followed, Albert Park has reflected
the history and cultural changes that
have taken place across the town
and society as a whole, and has been
a central point for both celebration
and recreation, for reflection and
remembrance.
In 1876 the park was the first home of
Middlesbrough Football Club, created
by local cricket players as a way of
keeping fit during the winter. Playing
on what had been planned as an
archery ground, it was a short-lived
tenure. When crowds rose beyond
200, the club was given its marching
orders. The football link is preserved
forever however in the numbers who
have a kickabout on the grass and
the statue of Brian Clough, proudly
striding across the park as if on his
way to Ayresome Park.
The Albert Park cricket field lasted
longer that the football pitch but is
also no more, though there are plans

24

for a match this summer with teams
hopefully donning Victorian wear for
the occasion.
Lacrosse, baseball and pitch and
putt are also sports that once
flourished in the park but could not
stand the test of time and the model
railway perished in 1988 when a fire
destroyed the equipment.
However, fishing and boating in the
lake, and tennis and croquet have
survived, and new recreations of
roller-skating, the bike academy and
the very popular Saturday morning
parkrun flourish.
Donald Cramb (below), the current
Parks Development Officer, believes
the park has remained true to the
ideals on which it was gifted a
century and a half ago.

“In terms of a lasting legacy, it still
provides space for physical recreation
in an area of industry. Many homes
still do not have gardens or green
space and the idea of a public area
for social gathering, somewhere to
exercise and have fun, has endured.
“It remains still a relatively cheap
day out for families and others,
essentially Albert Park remains the
same as Bolckow envisaged it,” says
Mr Cramb.
The park has provided the setting
for public celebrations since its
inception and that will be the case
this summer with the Middlesbrough
Mela taking place on the weekend
of August 11 and 12th - the 150th
birthday of the park.
The fete and fireworks advertised in a
programme for a garden party held in
the park in 1905 would not be out of
place today, nor would the stage acts
of singers and dancers, magicians
and comedians.
Other advertised entertainment,
however, such as a bird whistler
and Punch and Judy show may now
be viewed as of the time and it’s
doubtful whether the Mela or any
public event would now countenance
boxing midgets, a one-legged jumper
or exhibition in the lake of smoking
underwater.

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

Despite the sign, two-year-old Byron Storey can’t resist a splash!

Middlesbrough Mela returns to
Albert Park, its home for a number
of previous years, for what will be its
28th year and promises a fabulous
mix of world class music, a wide
range of entertainment, a family
fairground and a popular bazaar,
packed full of stalls and participatory
workshops and opportunities.
Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning
‘gathering’ or ‘to meet’ or a ‘fair’ and
sees Middlesbrough celebrate its
culture and diversity.
Zafar Uddin (below) was at the first
Middlesbrough Mela, which was held
in the Town Hall crypt. For many
years now he has been part of the
organising committee.
“Middlebrough Mela started small
and to begin with was almost entirely

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

the Asian community. It has grown
over the years though and is now
very much an event for everyone,”
says Zafar.
“Mela offers social integration and
brings the community together. One
weekend each year everyone - all
race and cultures - comes together
to celebrate multiculturalism and
togetherness. Middlesbrough Mela
highlights the area and promotes our
town where we live in harmony.”
From that first year that attracted
hundreds of people, Mela has grown
to become a two-day festival - the
largest and longest established event
of its kind in the North East, which
attracted over 40,000 people last year.
The festival attracts people from all
over the North-East, Yorkshire and
beyond, with stallholders travelling
from as far afield as Glasgow and
Southampton.
Music, dance and food have always
been central and in recent years
sports, workshops and crafts have
become an increasing part of the
party. New for this year is the Mela
big knit. Communities across the
Tees Valley are being invited to take
part in this large scale arts project
to be unveiled at Albert Park this
summer.
Organiser Lisa Bean explains: “The
project will use the natural landscape

of the park as a canvas, turning the
trees into colourful pieces of art. We
would love to wrap the trees with
knitted/crochet squares or circles,
hang flowers and pom pom garlands,
mandala knitted dream catchers
(below) or anything else people would
like to create that fits in with either a
Mela theme or natural landscape.”
Free Workshops led by local
artist Mikki Rogers take place at
Middlesbrough Town Hall between
noon and 1pm on Friday June 1, 8 and
15 and are open to beginners and
those looking to try crochet for the
first time.

25

Mikki will take beginners through
the initial stiches required for crochet
and will introduce our experts to
the creative process of designing
and making their own giant dream
catcher.
All pieces created through the
workshop will form part of the giant
art installation situated in Albert Park
for the Mela festival and beyond.
Lisa added that if anyone is unable to
attend a workshop but still wants to
take part they can.
“We want people to use their own
creativity to make their own
contributions to the project. We can
email some great links to some
patterns if people would like to try
those and we also welcome people’s
own ideas.
“If people require some wool, we
can arrange for this and for other
materials, including the hula hoops
frames which can be sent or picked
up at the Civic Centre.”
For more details please contact
lisa_bean@middlesbrough.gov.uk
or call 01642 729653

A central part of life in
Middlesbrough, Albert Park has
reflected the changing times and
this has included celebrations such
as jubilees and the Mela, as well as
more sombre occasions and times of
adversity.
During World War Two a barrage
balloon was based there, ever ready
to be launched to protect Teesside
industry from air raids. In June 1941
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
visited the town and during a tour of
the park inspected the civil defence
services.
Over the years the Linthorpe Road
entrance to the park has developed
into an important open space in

Francesca Welsh, 3, having fun in the Albert Park toddlers playground

tribute to those who gave their lives
in defence of their country and in
thanks for those who returned.
Within the park gates as well there
are several memorials and areas for
quiet reflection.
After the land for Albert Park was
gifted by Bolckow, the council spent
£3,000 on layout, designed by
William Barratt using plants from his
nursery in Wakefield.
The basic design of a rectangular
park spread over 100 acres and
divided into four quadrants by axial
paths remains intact, as does the
lower lake.
The original avenue of Wellingtonias
planted by Bolckow and others at

the opening were replaced by Horse
Chestnut but it is believed there
are still trees in the park that date
back to the opening and the Italian
walkway of shrubs and flowers
designed by Barratt is replanted
every year, recreating how the beds
would have looked in Victorian times.
A tradition of planting a tree with
commemorative plaque to mark
civic occasions grew up over the
years and this will be observed this
summer when the current Mayor of
Middlesbrough, David Budd, will plant
a tree to mark the 150th anniversary
of the park. IC
For more information or to make
your contribution please visit
facebook.com/albertparkofficial

Middlesbrough Council would like to thank the following
partners for their support in producing this magazine:

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Ageing Better Middlesbrough is a partnership of older
people and local organisations working together to inspire
people over 50 to lead active, healthy and happy lives.

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ENJOY MIDDLESBROUGH
ENJOY TEES VALLEY
Did you know that Middlesbrough’s Orange
Pip street food market is making a return?
Or there is a fantastic series of events
during May and June to mark the 250th
anniversary of Captain Cook’s voyages at
the Birthplace Museum?
If this is news to you, get up to date at Tees Valley
Combined Authority’s new tourism website,
EnjoyTeesValley.com, the official destination
management organisation for the region.
The site showcases the exciting events, attractions
and activities on offer in Middlesbrough and the wider
Tees Valley.

Hundreds of top shops, places to eat and drink and
cultural hotspots are listed on the easy-to-use one-stop
shop for discovering your area.
Check out some great itineraries with suggestions for
full days of pampering, family days out or becoming
one with nature.
There are even fantastic offers so you can enjoy Tees
Valley for less.
If you are involved in any excellent events in
Middlesbrough, from concerts to comedy gigs or popup shops to poetry recitals, you can get them listed on
the site - simply email hello@enjoyteesvalley.com

www.enjoyteesvalley.com

To keep up to date with Enjoy Tees Valley you can follow us on
our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
@EnjoyTeesValley

@EnjoyTeesValley

@EnjoyTeesValley

Financial help available to help
balance work and childcare
A campaign by Middlesbrough Council’s Stronger Families Team aims to ensure working
parents are receiving the childcare allowance they are entitled to.
Recently the childcare allowance
allocated by central government
to families across the country was
increased. Parents of three and
four-year-olds saw the free childcare
available to them double from 15 to
30 hours in a bid to ease pressure on
working parents and often extended
families who assist with childcare
duties.
To be eligible for the increased
allowance, both parents must be
working, or the sole parent if in a
lone parent family. Each parent must
have a weekly minimum income
equivalent to 16 hours at national
minimum wage, and an income of
less than £100,000 per year.
The entitlement is available for 38
weeks of the academic year, and it’s
important to note that applications
need to be approved by the beginning
of the term to be eligible. Families
who are approved later than this date
will need to wait until the following
term to receive the increased
entitlement. Applications are made
via the Childcare Choices website.
The increased allowance has
numerous benefits for families,
making it easier for working parents
to manage childcare as well as

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

enabling people to return to work
by drastically reducing the cost of
childcare.
Lindsay Thompson, from Middlesbrough
Council’s Stronger Families team,
said: “By easing the financial burden
on working families, these changes
enable people to achieve a greater
quality of life and will reduce the
stress that many feel when trying to
juggle their work and home lives.

“It’s so important that children
develop the necessary skills to
succeed in later life, and childcare
providers can help parents get their
children ready for school. Doubling
the hours of free childcare available
to parents provides a fantastic
opportunity to give children in
Middlesbrough a head start.”
Over 1,000 families in Middlesbrough
have been identified as eligible for the
scheme. Middlesbrough Council has
recently been successful in a funding
bid provided by the Department for
Education to further promote the
scheme and assist the Council in
ensuring that every eligible family
in Middlesbrough benefits from the
entitlement.
For more information on the 30 hours
childcare entitlement, please call the
Middlesbrough Family Information
Service on 01642 354 200 or visit
childcarechoices.gov.uk to apply.
And remember, in order to qualify
for the allowance for the school term
starting in September, parents need
to apply now so the application can
be approved before the autumn term
starts. Your child is eligible for the
entitlement the term after their 3rd
birthday.

29

HELP PEOPLE TO
TURN THEIR LIVES AROUND.
Make your spare change really count
by giving directly to local organisations
and charities that support homeless
people in Middlesbrough.
www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/smallchange
Together we can make the change.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I used to beg on the streets of
Middlesbrough to help fund my
chaotic lifestyle. But thanks to
some real help from a number of
local agencies and charities,
things are finally starting to look
up for me.â&#x20AC;?
JO*, Middlesbrough
(*Name changed to protect her identity).

Neighbourhoods co-ordinators
Sam Vasey and Michael Shaw

Investing in local
communities
Over the last year Thirteen has continued to invest in the communities it works in, to make a
positive difference to people’s lives and the place that they live.
Customers are Thirteen’s priority
and their views are vital, so they are
regularly asked what could be done
to improve the service provided for
them and their neighbourhood.
Recent investment in a new repairs
system, has enabled Thirteen to
provide a much better service to
customers, with more appointments
being made. Customer satisfaction
with repairs work remains high, but
the company wants to improve more
and we will be concentrating on this
in the coming year.
Improvements have been made
in neighbourhood teams, after
customers said they wanted to see
staff being more visible and for
people to take more pride in their
area. Last year the teams completed
more than 500 estate walkabouts,
enabling them to work alongside
customers to identify and rectify
issues much quicker.
Commitment to investing in homes
and neighbourhoods continued
throughout the year, with £26m of
internal and external improvements
carried out on homes across the
Tees Valley. A number of customers
in Berwick Hills benefitted from
brand new fully-fitted bathrooms,
kitchens, windows and doors, some
residents in South Bank received new

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

kitchens and bathrooms and over
500 new boilers were installed in
properties in Pallister Park. Customer
satisfaction increased, with nine out
of 10 customers reporting they are
satisfied with the quality of their
home and that their rent provides
value for money.
Over the next year, Thirteen’s
investment programme is set to
improve the quality of thousands of
homes and the environment where
it manages homes, with £31m of
improvements planned. Over 170
customers in Berwick Hills will
receive new windows and more than
30 homes in Ayresome will receive
new kitchens.
More than 800 new boilers will
be installed in properties across
Middlesbrough, demonstrating its
commitment to helping to reduce
customer’s fuel bills.
Last year £25m was invested in new
homes, creating 300 new homes
across the Tees Valley and beyond.
An innovative £1m partnership with
Middlesbrough Council and North
Ormesby Community Land Trust
brought almost 20 empty homes
back to life in North Ormesby,
not only improving the quality
of the homes to rent, but helping
unemployed residents to learn new

skills and help them return to work.
This year, 250 new homes will be
created in Middlesbrough alone, with
92 being built in Grove Hill, providing
options to rent or buy in part through
shared ownership.
Last year four new extra care
schemes were opened in a range
of locations, providing 187 safe and
secure housing units for over 55s
requiring extra support. This year,
support to over 800 customers will
continue to be provided in sheltered
housing and extra care schemes in
Middlesbrough.
Thirteen is much more than a
landlord, providing a range of housing
support services for more than 70,000
customers including advice with
money, skills and employment.
Last year its money advice team
supported around 650 customers in
Middlesbrough to identify and claim
£2m in additional benefits.
The New Directions employability
programme saw over 900 people
referred in Middlesbrough last year
and 140 people received an offer of
employment, vocational training,
apprenticeship or full-time education.
To find out more about work being
carried out by Thirteen go to
thirteengroup.co.uk

31

Your waste - your responsibility
As a householder you are responsible for what happens to your waste, even if it has left your
premises. There are various methods for disposing of your waste;

Do

These reasonable steps are:

1. Check their waste
carrier licence

• Keep waste to a minimum by doing
everything you reasonably can to
prevent, reuse, recycle or recover
waste (in that order)
• Put it in the correct bin
• Take it to a Household Waste
Recycling Centre at Haverton Hill
• Use the Council’s junk job service
for larger items - call 01642 726001
for more details (chargeable)
• Donate unwanted household items
to charity

Don’t
• Leave it outside of your house for
scrap metal collectors - this is illegal
and classed as flytipping
• Leave it on the street or by a litter
bin - this is classed as flytipping
• Leave it on the floor of a bin store
area (rubbish collectors don’t take
this away) - this is classed as
flytipping

Household Duty of Care
Alternatively, you may decide to
employ an individual or a company
to take your waste away from your
property. Always remember that you
have what the legislation calls a ‘duty
of care’. Duty of care means that you
must take reasonable steps to ensure
that people removing waste from
your premises are authorised to do so.

MY TIME, MY WAY, MY MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCIL

If you transfer your waste using a
waste removal company, you should
take reasonable steps to ensure
that they are a registered waste carrier.
You should always ask for their
waste carrier licence number
and check whether it is a valid one by
contacting the Environment Agency
on 08708 506 506.
Please check if the removal company
has a relevant waste carriers licence.

Celebrating area’s strong
links with the armed forces
The people of Middlesbrough and the Tees Valley will once again come together this summer
to show their support for the men and women of the armed forces and their bravery in keeping
the country safe.
Middlesbrough Town Centre will be
the venue for a day of celebrations on
June 23 to show support for military
personnel serving and retired.
The day is open to all, from families
and local groups to veterans and
potential new recruits. Formerly
known as Veterans’ Day, the event
now reflects the wider role of the UK
Armed Forces in the life of the nation
and local communities.
Armed Forces Day in Middlesbrough
will start in style at 11am with a
performance by the Army Cadets
pipes and drums band.
This is just one of a whole host of
activities for everyone to get involved
with, including a ‘make do and mend’
tent, first aid and other skills
demonstrations, a lunchtime tea
dance and a wide range of delicious
food and drink stalls.
Last year the Doo Wop Dollies had
people dancing in the streets with
their show-stopping performance
(above). They are back once again
this summer performing a collection
of war time classics.
Middlesbrough has strong and proud
links with the Armed Forces and
they continue to this day with local

34

recruits specialising in a wide variety
of skills.
Hannah Gapper (below with parents
Steve and Linden), is one such example.
After considering what she wanted
from life, Hannah joined the army
because of the vast number of
opportunities and sense of purpose it
offered.
After qualifying from Birmingham
University four years ago, Hannah is
now a nurse in the Queen Alexandra’s
Royal Army Nursing Corps.
Serving her country gives Hannah a
real sense of pride and she feels part

of a wider family of people who all
share similar goals and motivations.
The travelling, sports, adventure
training, sense of belonging to a
team, social life, and experiencing
places she might never have
otherwise visited are all fantastic
bonuses to a job she truly loves.
Currently based in Aldershot,
Hannah says: “Armed Forces Day
is an opportunity to celebrate our
military identity and heritage whilst
at the same time we remember all
those who served and lost their lives
fighting for their country.”
Armed Forces Day enables the public
to provide the troops and their families
with a much valued morale boost
whilst also showing how proud we
are of those who are serving now and
those who have served in the past.

For more information visit
lovemiddlesbrough.com

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

WIN the
Ultimate
prize
Summer wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Lightwater
Valley and its attractions for all ages.
There’s The Ultimate - Europe’s longest roller coaster - the skysoaring Eagles Claw,
Jumpin Jacks giant bouncy pillow, soft play area, animal encounters and a host of
other experiences at the popular North Yorkshire theme park.

lovemiddlesbrough is offering you the chance to win Four VIP passes
which include entry, meal deal, ride photo voucher and 2 queue busters – worth £140.
Simply email magazine@middlesbrough.gov.uk by 5pm, Friday, June 29 2018.
Write ‘competition’ in the subject field and tell us:

What is the longest roller coaster in Europe called?
Please let us know in your email if you are happy to be contacted with further information and offers from Lightwater Valley.

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Would you like to feel more
connected to your community?

Join our growing membership for free to discover the wide range of activities,
groups and opportunities near you.
Visit our website
ageingbettermiddlesbrough.org.uk
call the team on 01642 257034 or email us
info@ageingbettermiddlesbrough.org.uk
Ageing Better Middlesbrough is a
partnership of older people and local
organisations working together to
inspire people 50 and over to lead
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35
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Enjoy your own voyage of discovery
at Captain Cook Birthplace Museum
This summer marks the
250th anniversary of
Middlesbrough’s most famous
son, James Cook, setting sail
on his first great voyage of
discovery.
The anniversary will be
marked across the globe and
in particular at the Captain
Cook Birthplace Museum in
Middlesbrough’s Stewart Park.
The museum, just a short distance
from where Cook’s childhood home
used to stand, is itself celebrating a
milestone this year - 40 years since it
first opened.
It was on August 26 1768 that
Lieutenant James Cook set sail from
Plymouth on board the Whitby built
coal ship the HMB Endeavour on
his mission to observe the transit
of Venus from Tahiti in June the
following year. Carrying 94 people
and 18 months of provisions, the
Endeavour was ready for exploration.
After reaching Tahiti, Cook
continued on to search the South
Pacific in search of the unknown
southern land or Terra Australis
Incognita, charting the lands he
visited, including New Zealand, and
completing the chart of New Holland
as he sailed up the East Coast of
Australia and across the Great
Barrier Reef.
This voyage not only provided the
proof that the fabled Great Southern
Continent didn’t exist but also created
maps which were still used until 25
years ago. Cook’s attention to detail
was also seen in the care of his own
crew. By ensuring that each crew
member ate fresh food in every port
and that sauerkraut, lemon and
lime juice were consumed by all on
board, the ship was almost kept free
of scurvy and no one died of the
disease which was unheard of for
that age.
On October 27 the Captain Cook
Birthplace Museum celebrates its
40th birthday - a date will also
mark’s 290 years since the birth of
Captain Cook.
Numerous events are planned at
the museum and Stewart Park
to commemorate these many
anniversaries. The museum’s
temporary exhibition this year is

36

titled ‘Cook sites’ and allows visitors
to compare 18th Century engravings
(below) of places visited by the
Endeavour with modern day images.
A series of interactive workshops
for young and old alike take place
throughout the season. In addition
the Inner State Theatre Company
will perform “Cook’s Secret Recipe”
a new lighthearted show for all
the family. Can Captain Cook sail
without a SatNav? An entertaining
performance not to be missed!
In addition the Historical Maritime
Society will be visiting the museum
to give visitors an idea of what life
was like below decks on board the
Endeavour, a must for all young
explorers. Also, the ever popular,

Captain Raggy Beard will be on hand
to train your young trainee pirates
this summer.
There’s also a wide and varied
programme of workshops planned
including fascinating talks by
former museum curator Phil Philo,
taxidermy workshops and walks and
talks of Stewart Park.
A series of lectures also takes
place including interactive talks by
members of the Cook Society and the
Joseph Banks Society - named after
the famed botanist who accompanied
Cook on his first voyage .

To find out more about these and
numerous other exciting events planned
over the summer, visit our Facebook
page, pop into the museum or call
01641 311211.
Museum admission is £2.50 concessions,
£4 per adult. An explorer family pass
costs £10 and admits families of up to
two adults and three children unlimited
access to the museum for the season.
This also includes free or discounted
events and discounts in Cook’s Café which is open until 3.30pm every day.

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

Explore the universe this
summer at the Dorman
If you’re looking for a day out that the weather cannot spoil the Dorman Museum is the answer.
The Dorman aims to create a
learning environment that inspires
confidence, enjoyment and a desire
to return by providing a range
of opportunities for a wide cross
section of people regardless of age,
background or ability.
Standing at the Linthorpe Road
entrance to Albert Park, it’s wide
ranging selection of permanent and
visiting exhibitions, plus a unique tea
room, make it an enjoyable attraction
for all ages.
The interactive galleries take
visitors on a journey through
time that includes the origins and
history of Middlesbrough as well

Illustration by Anders Frang - one of
the emerging artists on display at the
Picture Hooks exhibition

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

as major national and international
developments and the deep vastness
of space.
For children there is also the
challenge of the museum trails - can
you spot all the faces on display or
complete the alphabetical I-spy.
The Earth in Space gallery
unashamedly sets out to visually
excite the visitor. Containing a
full size dinosaur model, human
skulls, a mineral mine, audio-visual
presentation and large display
objects around a spaceship-like
table under a starry sky it also has a
serious purpose.
The gallery attempts to weld a
number of seemingly disparate
themes together to make us think
about our place in the universe.
Interpretative themes explored
include the origin of the universe, the
formation of planet Earth; comets,
asteroids and meteorites; rocks &
minerals; evolution & extinction;
geological time; and local geology.
Middlesbrough was only granted a
town charter in 1853. It is essentially
a Victorian new town yet the history
of the people who have lived in this
area can be traced back thousands
of years to the Late Stone Age. In its
short existence as a town it has seen
countless changes and there are two
galleries devoted to this topic.

There is plenty of general interest
since many of the themes represent
a common history of Britain and
displays include reconstructions
of a shopping street, school room,
pawn brokers, air raid shelter, early
1900’s kitchen and back yard, cinema
and pub. Interpretative themes
include wartime, leisure, travel, local
industries and the River Tees.
This summer up until June 24 the
Dorman is proud to host an exhibition
featuring the work of newly emerging
children’s book illustrators and
their mentors working with the
organisation Picture Hooks. The group
pairs up and coming picture book
illustrators with established artists,
exploring the creative process of
making a picture book.
And later this summer the History
of Magic will examine the fact and
fiction of conjuring and sorcery. This
will be accompanied by a series of
workshops in which children can
create their own mask, banners,
bookmarks, dreamcatchers and even
clay spirit animal.
The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday,
10.30am-3.30pm.
Admission is free though there may be a
small charge for special events.
For full details about the many
attractions at the museum and
events planned for the summer visit
dormanmuseum.co.uk

37

Theatre celebrates the pub, The Beatles and
many more British and international classics
The Great British pub has been a central part of community life for centuries and provides the
backdrop to this gritty yet heart-warming look at life in a Northern local in the 1980s.
“Two”, by Jim Cartwright, awardwinning writer of Little Voice
and Road, sees the Landlord and
Landlady introduce you to all the
punters and regulars from early
doors until closing time as well as
uncovering their own tragic secret.
Their cheery greeting and friendly
banter barely disguise their contempt
for each other. They met outside the
pub when they were kids, had their
first drink there, courted there, had
their Twenty Firsts and Wedding
Reception there, and now they own
the place. All life is present in this
pub, where people celebrate and
mourn in an unflinching mixture of
tragedy and comedy.

38

During the course of the evening
assorted customers pass through
the doors, including a little boy left
by his father, an event that triggers a
move towards a fragile reconciliation
between the pub couple as their
secret tragedy, swallowed back for
seven years, comes to a head after
drinking - up time. the play runs
from June 6-9 including a matinée.
On June 16 and 17 The Snail and the
Whale offers storytelling, live music
and lots of laughs for everyone aged
four and up.
Join a tiny snail on her trip round the
world in Tall Stories’ magical, musical
production inspired by the fantastic
bestselling picture book by Julia
Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
Longing to see the world, a tiny
snail hitches a lift on the tail of a
humpback whale. Together they go
on an amazing adventure - but when
the whale gets beached, how will the
snail save him?
If live music is your thing then the
Theatre’s eclectic summer collection
should guarantee something for
all tastes. Tina Turner, Madonna,
Carole King, Michael Jackson, George
Michael, Rod Stewart and Eric
Clapton are just some of the giants

of rock and pop whose songs are
brought to the stage with incredible
realism over the summer. Other
nights see The Beatles, Bon Jovi, The
Drifters and other bands given the
five star tribute act treatment.
Meanwhile, Rolling Back the Years
packs three decades into one night,
taking the audience on a breathtaking
musical journey through the 50’s, 60’s,
and some of the brilliant sounds of
the 1970’s. Including songs by Connie
Francis, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles,
Elvis Presley, Abba, Jersey Boys and
many more.
For something more local, Schools
Gotta Sing on June 11 sees school
choirs from across Teesside
performing in an evening full of
entertainment. The choirs will each
perform a number of songs and also
be joined by talented local singers
including Sam Hollyman.

For more information or to book tickets
visit middlesbroughtheatre.co.uk or call
our Box Office on 01642 81 51 81

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

Say hello to an old friend
After two years of painstaking restoration work the wraps have come off Middlesbrough Town
Hall to reveal a stunning building that mixes the splendour of the Victorian era with the best in
modern day facilities.
Thanks to £7.7m funding by
Middlesbrough Council and
the Heritage Lottery Fund, the
Town Hall has undergone extensive
renovations, restoring rarely seen
elements of the Grade II listed
building, and allowing its central role
in the life of the town to continue.
The history of Middlesbrough Town
Hall mirrors the development of the
town from small hamlet to bustling
centre of the Tees Valley.
By the late 1880s, the population of
Middlesbrough was nearing 90,000,
and the town covered much more
than just the original St. Hilda’s
area. To handle the demands of
such a huge increase in population,
a bigger town hall was needed, and
the decision was made to locate it
at the corner of Albert Road and
Corporation Road.
A competition to design a new
Town Hall building was launched
and architect G.G. Hoskins’ ‘Law
and Order’ design was chosen as the
winner. Hoskins was almost entirely
responsible for the architectural
design of Victorian Darlington,
and would have been well-known
in the architecture community.
The Backhouse Bank building in
Middlesbrough (at the corner of
Albert Road and Zetland Road) was
also designed by Hoskins.
The Town Hall was officially opened
by the Prince and Princess of Wales
on January 23 1889.

Much like today, the Town Hall
had two very different uses. Part of
the building was given over to the
municipal functions needed to keep
the town running, and the other
part established itself as a popular
entertainment venue.
The Town Hall housed the Mayor
and staff of the Middlesbrough
Corporation (the forerunner to
Middlesbrough Council), as well
as the police station and cells,
courtroom, library, water board office,
and fire station.
It was very much at the heart of civic
life, and was a bustling focal point
around which much of what we
now know as the town centre was
developed. Hotels, pubs, offices, and
shops transformed the area into the
commercial heart of Middlesbrough,
which continues to this day.
The restoration work carried out
has uncovered many of the original
features. The grand concert hall has
been restored to its former glory and
fascinating areas that haven’t been
seen by the public in decades have
been opened up as café’s for visitors
and for use in events, crafts and
workshops. These areas include the
old police cells, courtroom, and fire
station.
Like the main building, the register
office has also undergone a recent
facelift with original features
including 130 year old terrazzo
flooring, wood panelling and ceiling
roses now revealed.

Restoration has thrown new light on
original features (main picture and
above)

Enjoy a coffee in the old fire station

40
lovemiddlesbrough magazine

The Town Hall is very much a space
for the people of Middlesbrough,
the restoration has been funded by
people playing the National Lottery
so thank you for supporting arts and
heritage in Middlesbrough.
Now we want to hear your ideas for
how this magnificent building can be
used so please get in touch via our
website or social media links.

Tell us what you want
from your Town Hall:
@mbro_townhall
/middlesbrough_townhall
/ MiddlesbroughTownHall
Or sign up to our newsletter online at
middlesbroughtownhall.co.uk
Work has restored the Town Hall
auditorium (top) and allowed visitors
the opportunity to enjoy a drink in the
foyer (opposite) or explore the original
cells (opposite right).

Music and entertainment

Middlesbrough Town Hall’s reputation as a respected entertainment venue began with the grand
concert hall, which featured a custom-built organ by the prestigious William Hill and Son.
Performers from across the world
Jason Manford - Muddle Class
played at the Town Hall, including
Friday July 6 &
the Russian virtuoso pianist, Sergei
Friday November 16
Rachmaninov, who appeared not
once but twice, in 1911 and 1939;
Dame Nellie Melba; Johann Strauss,
and Sir Edward Elgar with the
London Symphony Orchestra.
Over the years, the Town Hall has
also played host to more modern,
great names in music, including
Oasis; David Bowie; The Clash; AC/DC,
and Robbie Williams.
That tradition will continue with a
host of top acts already lined up for
the summer and beyond. Some of
our top pics for the summer are:

One of the country’s best loved comics.
Features a wealth of new material about
Jason growing up ‘working class’ then
finding that part of him has become
‘middle class’ - causing much confusion
along the way.

Chris Ramsey
Tuesday June 12
Chris Ramsey is Just Happy To Be Out Of
The House! And he wants Middlesbrough
to know it. Chris Ramsey has sold out the
Town Hall before - so buy early!

Jurassic Park in Concert
Sunday September 16
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of
Jurassic Park and enjoy the action like
never before - projected in HD with
Czech National Symphona performing
Williams’ magnificent score live to picture.
Welcome… to Jurassic Park!

Edward Kunonga, Middlesbrough’s Director
of Public Health, at the launch of Baby Café

The Live Well Centre: helping
your family to Start Well
The Live Well Centre - a health and wellbeing hub located in Dundas Arcade - is launching an
exciting new offer for families in the summer. The Start Well offer provides help and advice
from a variety of providers, aimed primarily at children and parents of young children.
The first Start Well offer was the Baby
Café, which was launched in April
and is a National Childbirth Trust
programme that offers information
and support for breastfeeding mums
and mums to be.
Baby Café is a network of dropins, offering help and support to
breastfeeding mothers, regardless of
the age of the baby or child and no
matter how much breastmilk you are
giving. Pregnant women are welcome
too. You don’t need to have a problem
to attend - lots of mums come
because they enjoy being in a group
with other breastfeeding women
chatting about their experiences.
No appointment is needed and you
can bring your partner too. The dropins are run by trained staff including
midwives, health visitors, or lactation
consultants, and practitioners such
as nursery nurses or breastfeeding
counsellors. They have specific
training and experience in helping
breastfeeding families.
Help is available on all aspects of
breastfeeding and its impact on daily
life - from starting to stopping and all
the variations in between.

lovemiddlesbrough magazine

In a relaxed atmosphere you can:
• Meet other mums and share
experiences in a group of other
breastfeeding women.
• Access one-to-one help, should you
need it, from one of our specially
trained staff.
• Look at a range of breastfeeding
information, including books and
leaflets.
• Be offered refreshments.
If you have not fed your baby whilst
being out and about before, Baby Café
is the perfect environment to bridge
the gap from being at home to feeding
elsewhere.
The drop-in will provide support to
mums in a relaxed and informal
environment, with staff who are
knowledgeable and skilled in helping
women to breastfeed.
Trina Warman, Baby Café Coordinator, NCT said: “The first few
weeks can be tough for new mums

and one of the things they may
need support with is breastfeeding.
It’s really important that there is
somewhere supportive and friendly
for women in this area to go to
discuss issues with feeding.
“Women can find out about
breastfeeding at Baby Cafés and
decide if it’s for them and also get
information on mixed feeding and
expressing.”
Research shows that 80% of women
who stop breastfeeding in the first few
weeks would have liked to continue
and many stop through a lack of
support.
An NCT Breastfeeding Counsellor
and volunteers will be on hand at the
Baby Cafés to give information and
encouragement, and the sessions
also provide an opportunity for
Middlesbrough mums to support each
other.
For more information on the Start Well
offer, including Baby Café, please call
The Live Well Centre on 01642 727 579.
Baby Café runs every Friday 10am12pm. Booking not necessary. Further
information available at babycafe.org

While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, we can accept no responsibility for errors, omissions or subsequent alterations or for
any consequences arising from them. Please check details with the establishments concerned.

01287 204709 or
simon-clarke.org.uk
South Tees Conservatives,
7a Church Street, Guisborough. TS14 6HG
Simon holds weekly surgeries at
venues around his constituency,
please call or go online for more details

The next scheduled full Council meeting dates are:

Wednesday June 20, Wednesday July 18 • 7pm
Council Chamber, Town Hall, Middlesbrough.
These meetings are open to the public and are also available
online youtube.com/middlesbroughcouncil

Key
Lab Labour
Con Conservative
Ind Independent
MICA Middlesbrough Independent
Councillors’ Association
In addition to the listed Ward
Surgeries, Councillors marked ‘*’
also hold regular Street Surgeries.
Residents will be leafleted in
advance of visits.
Alternatively, residents can call to
make an appointment to meet with
Councillors to discuss any issues or
concerns they may have.

Jess Lancaster, 18 from Redcar is benefiting from a
mixed portfolio of subjects and is currently studying
BTEC Law, A Level English Literature and A Level
Philosophy and Ethics – and has ambitions to go into
teaching.
Jess, is on course for a distinction star in her BTEC, and
an A and B in her A Level subjects, and already has a
conditional offer to study at the University of Leeds.

ies
“Universit
lue
see the va
s it
a
in this mix
ly
na tical,
balances a
based
researching
skills build
cal
with practi
skills.”